


Shadow

by PinkLotus (EspurrsVena)



Category: JO1 (Japan Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Some fluff too, Teen Crush, Unrequited Crush, no beta we die like real men, other members mentioned - Freeform, well it's not that angsty only a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26110639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspurrsVena/pseuds/PinkLotus
Summary: Like everyone else on this planet Sukai admired his older brother Ren. Yet when both brothers develop a crush on Takumi, Sukai decides that he doesn't want to be in the shadow of his brother anymore.
Relationships: Kawanishi Takumi/Kinjo Sukai, Kawashiri Ren/Ohira Shosei
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Shadow

For Sukai being Ren’s younger brother was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Ren was the most amazing big brother, he could wish for, but everyone liked Ren. He was someone who attracted people easily which was so unlike Sukai himself. It wasn’t like he didn’t mind large groups of people, but they've never appeared around him. Ren did his best to include him every time he saw Sukai standing on the offside, in the shadows. Yet Ren wasn't always there for him. And Sukai didn't mind. He enjoyed the shadows somehow.

Also thanks to Ren, Sukai eventually met Takumi. Takumi was in the same year as him but at first, Sukai hadn’t noticed him at all. Sukai himself was kind of shy when it came to new people and the other one wasn’t much better. One day, the boy entered his class and was introduced as the new transfer student. Sukai, sitting in the row in the very back, found him cute, yes, but that’s all. For the moment. 

One of Sukai’s few own friends was Shosei. Technically speaking, at first Shosei had only approached him because he was Ren’s brother. Ren was Shosei’s big role model and the blonde one was head over heels for the older one of the brothers. That he ended up in the same class as his idol’s younger brother made him enter Sukai's orbit, yet eventually Shosei grew to like Sukai for being himself and they started to talk about other topics, too. Sukai never minded talking about Ren, no, he also thought that his older brother was someone stunning, yet it felt nice to have a friend on his own eventually. 

Still from time to time, their talks shifted to Ren, especially after Shosei’s admiration had grown into a full-scale crush. At one point, Sukai had expected that to happen already. His friend talked about his brother in a way their classmates talked about the girls in their school.   
However, Shosei had been long afraid to speak it out loudly. He was afraid to be judged. Yet Sukai saw no reason in that. The blonde one was a sweet guy who would never dare to hurt his brother. Also, when Shosei talked about Ren, he started to glow. Usually, his friend was a little gloomy, mainly because of his bad grades. Seeing him happy made Sukai happy, too. 

However, Shosei wasn’t the only one who started to glow when he talked about his crush. Ren did the same. The younger brother had no idea how, but his new classmate, Takumi, had caught Ren’s eyes. Apparently when Ren was hanging out with his friends, Junki and Ruki, at the sports grounds, he had seen Takumi for the first time and fallen for him on the first sight. Yet, Ren’s clumsiness and Takumi’s natural shyness made it impossible for them to interact, thus his brother kept visiting the field to watch him train. Afterwards during their way home, Ren would tell Sukai every little thing the red haired one did. 

It was cute to see his normally cool older brother become that flustered. Shosei was cute already when he talked about Ren, yet his brother was even cuter. All the praises and talks made Sukai curious about his classmate who barely talked in class. Hence, he started to pay attention to the boy, too. 

At first, Sukai didn’t see what’s so special about Takumi. Sure, his hair was flashy and he was cute. The red hair stood out even among his classmates, but his personality wasn’t anything special. Just like Sukai he was someone who went in his own pace, not caring much about his surroundings. Besides being part of their baseball club, he didn’t like standing in the center of attention much which was another similarity he shared with Sukai. Yet in Sukai’s case, it was because he grew up in Ren’s shadow. He was used that someone else was the center of attention. 

Then one day, maybe for the first time in their lifes, Ren approached his brother with a request.   
“Takumi is in your class, isn’t he? Can you help me to get to know him better? Every time I want to approach him, I become too nervous.” Just by talking about the red haired one, his brother’s face colour had changed to a similar shade. 

Sukai didn’t mind helping his brother, but unlike Ren he wasn’t good in approaching people. People tended to be scared of him because of his default expression. Yet for his brother he tried anyway. But he needed help and the only who could help him was Shosei.   
“Not you too...” Surprisingly, Shosei didn’t seem to be happy at all.   
“What do you mean?”   
“Even in the dance club, Ren can’t stop talking about this Takumi-guy...”   
“It’s actually for Ren.”, he confessed. He felt a little bad about asking for Shosei’s help. As much as he wished happiness for his friend, blood was thicker than water and he wanted his brother to be happy, too. 

“So, he really likes him?” As expected, Shosei looked crushed and Sukai couldn’t help but hug him.   
“I’m sorry.” He really was. He wanted his friend to become happy, too. Shosei was a good guy who just liked the wrong person. Ren always got what he wanted and Sukai was sure that his brother would get Takumi’s heart eventually, too.   
“You don’t have to. Of course, you want to help your brother.”   
Still, deep inside of his heart, Sukai wanted to make both of them happy. 

During lunch break that day, Sukai tried to approach Takumi for the first time.   
“Oh... Hey.” He felt awkward because they had never talked before, but he had to start somewhere. Both of them had opted to stay in the class room for the lunch break, thus giving Sukai the perfect opportunity to approach the red haired one. “I don’t think we have talked since you came here. I’m Sukai.” 

Takumi who sat on his desk looked up at him and for the first time Sukai realised what mesmerising eyes his classmate had. Somehow, they seemed to sparkle.   
“Oh hey. Yes, I guess so. I’m Takumi.” The red haired one seemed as awkward as him. “You don’t eat lunch outside?”   
“Nah, there are too much wasps outside recently. I want to eat my lunch in peace.” He didn’t even lie about that. Just the day before, Shosei was stung by one of those insects. While Sukai wasn’t afraid of them, he thought of them as bothersome.   
“True... Those monsters bother me always during baseball practise, too.”   
“You don’t like insects?”   
“Not at all.” 

When Sukai returned home together with Ren that day, he reported all information he had gotten to his older brother.   
“Damn, it’s hard to save him from bugs when he practises baseball...” Just like Sukai himself, his older brother also had no problem with bugs. He even teased his friend Ruki by snipping them at him sometimes. “I would need to join the baseball club but I have my dance club already.”   
“Also, you can’t just run to him in the middle of a game.” 

Eventually, it became a new habit for Sukai to spend the lunch break with Takumi. Both of them preferred to bring their own lunch from home instead of buying something in the cafeteria, so at least the first minutes of the break were enjoyed in peace. Unlike most of their classmates they were introverts, thus having quiet phases during the day was apricated by them and at the same time they enjoyed each other's company. 

“You are in the soccer club? You don’t seem like the other soccer guys from here.”, said Takumi during one of their lunches.   
Sukai was pretty sure that the “other soccer guys” were Junki and Ruki who were also tasked by Ren to find out more about Takumi. Yet unlike Sukai those two preferred more a direct approach. “Yeah I’m more a quiet guy. Our offensive players are quite loud, aren’t they?”   
“Yeah, two of them keep watching our baseball practices and always ask me questions afterwards. They are weird.” 

While Sukai could only agree to that, he wondered if Takumi had noticed his brother already, too and what his thoughts were regarding him. “Is that so?”   
“Yeah and there is always a third guy with them. He kinda looks like you.”   
“Ah I know now who you mean. Yes, that third guy is my brother Ren.”   
“That Ren? The guy the whole school talks about?”   
So, he knew about his brother, Sukai thought and nodded.   
“I thought he was more... outgoing? Like those two? From the way everyone talked about him, but he seems very much like you.” 

Takumi's impression wasn’t wrong. Ren was more outgoing than him, but naturally Takumi had no idea how shy is brother became around him. Yet it also meant that that the red haired one’s impression of his brother didn’t seem as bad as the one regarding his friends.   
Hence, Sukai decided to introduce them to each other finally. 

Normally, Ren spend his lunch breaks with his friends, but when Sukai mentioned Takumi, his brother was convinced on the spot. His brother was as excited as before his birthday and Sukai was happy that he could help his brother – at least he kept telling himself that.   
They prepared their plan for the next day and somewhere deep inside of Sukai, he hoped that the plan would fail. He hated that thought and tried to push it even deeper into himself.

Yet Sukai also couldn’t help but feel nervous before lunch break. He had no idea how the whole thing would turn out and he would have loved to have Shosei’s calming company. However, inviting him would be a torture for his best friend. Witnessing your crush approach their crush who wasn’t you, was something Sukai didn’t even wish his enemies. 

Together with the bell that signalled their lunch break Ren entered Sukai’s classroom and beside everyone in the school knowing that they were brothers, everyone seemed to be surprised about his arrival. “Sukai~, let eat lunch together.”, he said innocently.   
“Sure. Oh Ren, I usually eat lunch with Takumi. Would you mind?”   
“Not at all. I want to get to know the friends of my baby brother more.”   
Takumi didn’t seem to mind either, thus their plan was a success. 

However, once again deep inside of Sukai there was the feeling that he didn’t want the plan to be successful. He tried to explain that to himself by seeing how sad Shosei seemed when he left the class room, yet he knew the true reason, but he wasn't ready to admit that yet.

“So, I saw you play baseball, right?” While Ren was a much better talker than Sukai, his attempt to talk to Takumi was clumsy at it’s best.   
“Yes. Since primary school I play baseball. I’ve heard you are a dancer?”   
“Yes, just like you I’m doing that since primary school.” While Takumi’s eyes had a natural sparkle Sukai saw how his brother’s eyes started to sparkle while talking to his crush. He was happy for him, he kept telling himself. 

“Why don’t you dance Sukai?” Takumi tried to include him into their conversation. Sadly, unintentioanlly he had picked an embarrassing topic and Sukai was expecting his older brother to tease him sooner or later.   
“Ah I’m not made for dancing.”   
“That’s one way to phrase it Kai-chan. You are the most awkward dancer I know.", his brother said while chuckling. Meanwhile, Sukai just hoped that Ren wouldn’t show any of the videos he took.   
“Don’t be sad about that. I saw you playing soccer earlier and you seem to be quite good in that.” 

Until that moment Sukai hadn’t known that his friend had come to his practise, too, thus he was surprised. “Really?”   
“Yeah, your club was practising before my one and somehow I was early, thus I decided to watch a bit. You’re so fast.”   
For some reason, no Sukai suspected a reason at this point already, his heart started to beat faster after that statement. “Thanks, but it’s nothing.”   
“Don’t make yourself small. You are awesome, too.” 

That occasion was maybe the first time in Sukai’s life that he was praised by someone besides being in the same room as his brother. His whole life he had spent in his shadow and most of the time he hadn’t mind that. Yet that praise felt special. Especially because it came from Takumi. 

The whole lunch break the two brothers and Takumi talked and Sukai could feel Ren gradually becoming used to Takumi’s presence, thus becoming less nervous. He was happy for his brother, yet once again there was something inside of him that wasn’t happy at all. 

“I hope you didn’t mind Ren joining us today.”, Sukai said after his brother had left. Because the 3rd years had their classes in a different building next, Ren had to leave early, thus leaving the two some time to talk before their next class.  
“No, it was alright. It was fun to see a different Sukai.”, his friend replied with a smile.   
For a moment Sukai was unable to answer. Takumi’s smile blew him away. In that moment, Sukai finally understood why Ren fell for him just by looking at him. The red haired one’s smile was beautiful, one side of his mouth was more raised than the other side, thus making him wink a little. It only added to his boyish handsomeness and his eyes seemed to sparkle even more than usually. “Th-thanks.” 

“I didn’t know that the cool Sukai can be that cute.” That one brain cell that still worked told him that Takumi was only teasing him, yet Sukai couldn’t help but to turn into a tomato. The compliments and the teasing were just too much.   
Fortunately, the school bell and their entering teacher saved him from more embarrassment. 

However, that day something changed inside of Sukai. He didn’t want to stay in Ren’s shadow when it came to Takumi, he wanted to be in his spotlight. Takumi was the first person who hadn’t overlooked him for his brother.   
Furthermore, he could also make someone else happy. He just had to figure out how. 

As expected, Ren wanted to join their lunches more often, but the goddess of luck was on Sukai’s side. Both Junki and Ruki didn’t let their friend chase his crush that easily and thanks to Takumi still considering the both boys as too much for him, they still had their regular lunches of just the two of them together. Still, Sukai had no idea how to flirt. He needed help. He needed Shosei. 

“I have no idea how to flirt either. Why are you even asking me? For three months I’m having a hopeless crush on your brother.” Shosei was nothing but confused about Sukai’s plea for help.   
“It might not be that hopeless anymore...”   
“Sukai, your brother is whipped for our classmate. It is hopeless.”   
“I know but he doesn’t have a chance with him.”   
“What? Really? Spill the tea.” 

There was no tea to spill, only Sukai’s determination to win Takumi’s heart for himself. “Because I want to date Takumi.”   
“Not you too. Seriously, you two share a braincell sometimes.” Besides that Shosei seemed jealous of the red haired one, his expression became more positive. “But I’m going to help you win his heart. And I’ll help Ren with his broken heart afterwards.” 

With the school festival coming up soon, there was the perfect opportunity for Sukai to ask Takumi for a date. Unfortunately, his older brother had the same idea. Yet that’s when Shosei came into the game.   
Each time Ren wanted to ask Takumi out, Shosei popped up from somewhere and started to distract him. Sukai knew he had to act fast to get the date himself before things became obvious but that was easier said than done. 

“What are you soccer guys doing for the school festival?” It has gotten colder already, thus the annoying wasps had disappeared, yet for the students the weather was still nice enough to enjoy their lunch time outside. Hence, Sukai and Takumi had decided to spend their lunch break at the school roof. With the school festival coming up Ren’s dance club had gotten busier; hence Shosei could spend time with him without an excuse.   
“We will make curry. We just have to convince Junki that we don’t sell a drink. And you guys?”   
“We are going to sell okonomiyaki. Back at my old school the baseball team always sold curry.”   
“No chance. Curry is Junki’s brand.” Sukai knew he had to ask him out now, yet he had still no idea how. 

“Have you decided on the shifts already?”, Takumi asked.   
“Yes, I will be helping on the first day. And you?”   
“Me too. So, we both have the second day off.”   
That was Sukai’s chance. He had to ask him now. “If we both have the day off... Do you want to go together?”   
“I would love to.”, answered Takumi with one of his beautiful smiles that made Sukai’s heart melt. 

Of course, Ren wasn’t excited when he heard that Takumi had company for the festival already, yet he believed that because said company was his brother, he didn’t need to fear something. He even accepted Shosei’s invite of visiting the festival together – just as friends from the same club obviously – making the festival preparations a success for the best friends. 

The first day of the festival went without any incidents. Takumi visited the booth of Sukai’s club during his break and Sukai did the same later during his one, yet the whole day went with the blink of an eye. However, once Sukai had returned home and realised that during the next day his date with Takumi would happen, excitement bubbled inside of him. 

Usually Sukai didn’t care much about his style at a school festival. While most of his classmates went miles to create a new look for themselves for that day because the festival was the best chance to get a date or because they had a date, Sukai always went in casual clothes. However, this time, he took an effort too. His style stayed simple because he didn’t want to be that obvious, but even Ren commented how handsome he looked in the white shirt and skinny black pants. 

As they decided earlier, Sukai met Takumi at the school gate, so that they both could start to explore the festival together. While they had opted for each other’s clubs the day before, choosing food had become much harder so they eventually decided to try everything. Thanks to being sports guys, they would burn those extra calories sooner or later. Some things they shared and Sukai’s heart beat faster each time, he tried to feed the red haired one or Takumi did the same to him. It really felt like a date for him. 

Ultimately, it was time for the highlight of the festival, the performance of Ren’s and Shosei’s dance club and being the younger brother and the best friend of members from the club, gave Sukai the privilege to reserve good spots for him and Takumi. 

The evening had come and it had gotten colder. Sukai wanted to tell himself otherwise, but Takumi had come closer than necessary to him while they waited for the performance to start. “Are you cold?”   
“A little.”   
While Sukai felt a slight chill, too, it was still bearable for him. Yet just to be sure he had taken a coat with him in the morning which he took out from his back and gave it to his date. “Here.” 

Once again, a beautiful smile grazed Takumi’s face when he took the offered coat. “Thank you.” The coat was big for the red haired one and Sukai couldn’t help but thank that the slight next to him was cute.   
“The coat smells like you. I like that.” 

However, before Sukai could reply, the performance started and all eyes including his ones went to the stage. Yet a part of his mind stayed super aware of the person next to him.   
Thus, when Takumi took his hand suddenly, it felt like an electrical shock when through his body. A pleasant tingling went from the hand through his body. Like always the dance of his brother fascinated him but he managed to take his eyes of him to look that the person next to him.   
Takumi smiled at him and pressed his hand slightly before looking back at the stage. Not needing any words Sukai did the same before focussing on the performance again, too. 

Sukai felt like he was in one of those high school dramas. It was too good to be true, yet it was true. Takumi had chosen him and they were on a date. Becoming a couple at the school festival was a cliché, yet he didn’t mind. He was overjoyed and enjoyed every single second.   
Still, there was his brother who had a crush on the same person and he had to face him ultimately. 

In exchange for the good places in the audience, Sukai had promised Ren to come over with Takumi after the performance and he kept that promise. He felt awkward again, but the whole time the red haired one didn’t let go of his hand. It reassured him and still, he didn’t want to bring that news to his brother. 

It took Ren only one look at their intertwined hands to figure out the situation and while Sukai was glad that he didn’t had to explain anything, the look his older brother had in that moment broke his heart a little. They might have been rivals for Takumi’s heart, yet he hated to see his brother sad. He had wished that there had been a way to solve everything without a heartbreak. 

Luckily, Ren was perfect, thus he caught himself fast and tried to act like nothing happened. “Did you enjoy the performance?”   
“I get now why everyone talks about you. You are an awesome dancer, Ren. You will surely become famous in the future.” For a small second pain appeared on Ren’s face once again. Sukai could imagine that it must hurt to hear your crush praising you while he holds the hand of someone else.   
“As awesome as always, bro. Where is Shosei?”   
“He should come out soon. He is helping Syoya to tidy up the stage.” 

The silence that followed felt awkward for Sukai. He wanted to continue the talk to distract his brother from the obvious things, yet he had no idea how.   
Finally, it was Ren who spoke. “So... my little brother found himself a boyfriend?”   
It was brave from Ren to speak it out loud besides his hurt feelings. If Sukai had been in his place, he wouldn’t have been able to act that maturely.   
Meanwhile, Takumi reacted shyly to the question. “I hope you don’t mind. Sukai is a calming presence that I really enjoy.” 

Hearing this confession made Sukai feel delighted. Usually his quiet self made him fade into the background, into Ren’s shadow, that someone actively seeking that out was refreshing and that the person was Takumi only made it better. His heart had chosen the right guy.   
“Take care of him for me, will you?”   
“Of course, I will.”, replied Takumi happily. 

Yet Sukai knew that his brother’s statement had been directed at him, not at Takumi. Of course, he would take care of Takumi. He was the first person who liked him not for being Ren’s brother but just for himself. Takumi had seen him before had seen Ren and made him feel like he was in the spotlight for once. Not that Sukai needed the spotlight. As long as he stayed in Takumi’s spotlight, he would be content. And still, he hoped that his brother would find a special someone, too. Someone who made him forget that his brother was responsible for a heartbreak. It wasn’t Ren’s fault that he was always in the spotlight and Sukai in the shadows. Ren was born to be in the spotlight, yet he needed someone to make him shine truly. Who brought the sparkle into his eyes not just on stage, but offstage too. Takumi had managed that, yes, but he wasn’t that person for Ren. 

Wanting to comfort his brother and to reassure himself that Ren didn’t hate him, he went over to the dancer and hugged him. “I will.”, he whispered.  
“Good.”   
Being so close Sukai could feel that his brother was trembling a little. “Ask Shosei out. He is a good guy who really likes you.”   
“It wouldn’t be fair to him right now.”   
“He wouldn’t mind. He wants you to be happy, too.” 

The older brother only needed as a reply and Sukai decided that Ren had witnessed enough torment for the day.   
“Takumi, do you want to grab some leftovers from our clubs? They still need some time here.”   
“Sure.” The red haired one still seemed unaware of the conflict between the brothers and Sukai was happy about that. He didn’t want the other one to have a similar tainted memory of their first date. He wanted him to be happy. 

Before they left, Sukai made sure to say goodbye to Shosei however.   
“Ren knows. It’s your chance to heal is broken heart now. I trust you in this.”   
“Thank you Sukai. I won’t disappoint you. I owe you that.”   
“You don’t owe me anything. We are friends.”   
“But at first, I only approached you because you are his brother. That you wanted to become my friend anyway and that you even helped me, means a lot to me.” Shosei pulled him into a long hug, so that Takumi who waited for him a few meters away, had to complain.   
“It’s alright Shosei. Make him happy and stop making my boyfriend jealous.” 

Sukai broke the hug and returned to his new boyfriend – thinking about that word made him excited already- who immediately took his hand again.   
“Let’s grab some leftovers.”, Takumi said before dragging Sukai to the food area. 

From the corner of his eyes Sukai saw his brother watching while staying in the shadows. But then Shosei went over to him and made sure that he wouldn’t stay there for long. It consoled Sukai that the shadow won’t stay on their brotherly relationship for long.   
A new chapter had begun in his life. A chapter with less shadows which were chased away by the beautiful smile that belonged to the guy holding his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Happy Stargazer release day (at least that should have startened when I upload this story)!  
> Skyberry GC demanded an AU and here we go. I was forced to write a happy end otherwise I would have delivered one sooner. Maybe I'm gonna write my original idea one day... Maybe  
> My thesis is also going well and I hope that I can update "So What" on the weekend.  
> I hope you enjoyed this rare ship!  
> See you~


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